Ice Age: Love's Grasp
by Mitchicus
Summary: Shira has been through a rough life, and now that life is coming back to haunt her. Once her pack leader that she was betrothed to, Kravon vows revenge against her for running away, getting the rest of the gang in the way of the battle. Through this however, Shira draws closer to Diego, knowing that he is the love of her life. Violence, language, and sexual themes. Sequel soon!
1. Aftermath

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 1: Aftermath

**A/N: Here is my first story outside of KFP! Hope you all love it! It's following Shira mainly, and occurs one month after the events of Continental Drift. And now for the first chapter!**

The Saber Tooth Tiger smiled as she watched the snow fall, the ground already covered with it. She extended her paw and opened her palm, letting a snowflake fall into it. She put her paw back on the snow covered ground and looked at the white landscape around her.

Shira remembered another night that she had seen the landscape like this…one that was the last night she saw her brother.

* * *

"_I have to go, Nick." Shira said sternly._

_Her brother's face fell, as the snow fell around them. Nick was a large and strong saber like her, looking just like her in resemblance but having a ferocity that made even the strongest warrior become intimidating. A red scar went from his right eyebrow, over his eyelid and down to the top of his cheek, a reminder of a fierce battle with a rival pack. His sister had been betrothed to a man she hated with a passion; the leader of her pack, since she was the most beautiful woman there. The evil leader's name was Kravon. She refused to marry him, and would do whatever it took to escape the marriage._

"_This is the life our parents wanted for us, Shira." Nick said. "What would they think of you running off?"_

"_They would respect me for running away from __**him**__." Shira responded._

_Nick bowed his head and sighed. "Shira…I cannot go."_

"_What do you mean?" Shira asked, tears forming in her eyes._

"_Brianna is pregnant…I'm going to be a father soon. She cannot come on the long journey south, and I will not leave her...I'm sorry, Shira." Nick said, just as upset about not coming with her as she was. _

"_But you're my brother." Shira said. "You swore to my father before he died that you would protect me no matter what."_

"_And by protecting you, I must say that you should leave on your own, and escape him." _

"_Please come with me." Shira begged._

"_I cannot, sister. You know that." Nick said, and rubbed his head against hers. "I love you, Shira."_

"_I love you too, Nick." Shira said, rubbing her head against his strong neck._

_He slowly pulled away from her, and looked into her blue eyes._

"_Be strong, find a good life, and a good husband; one that can protect you as I have done all my life."_

"_I will, Nick." Shira said, and wrapped her paw around his neck, pulling him into a hug._

_He patted her on the back, and they slowly pulled away from each other. _

"_But what about you? Once they see that I'm gone, they will come after you and Brianna!" Shira exclaimed._

"_I will hide them in the Caves of our Ancestors; and I'll deal with Kravon." Nick said._

_Little did they know that Kravon himself was standing on a hill near them, most of the pack behind him. He turned to his comrades._

"_Drego, Andro, find Brianna; you know what to do." Kravon said, the two bowing and hurrying off to find Nikolai's wife._

"_I knew that saber would get on my nerves." Kravon growled._

_Nikolai's ears perked up, turning to see the tigers glaring down at them. Shira turned also, her eyes widening._

"_Shira, run!" Nick said as he and his sister ran down the hill as fast as they could, kicking the snow up as they ran._

_The pack was hot on their heels, and the river came into view. _

"_That's your only way out, Shira." Nick said as the two of them reached it, Shira crossing the small strip of frozen ice._

"_Nick, please! Come with me!" Shira begged. _

"_Forgive me, sister." Nikolai said and broke the ice with his paws, letting the water begin to flow. _

_Shira reached the other side, seeing her brother still standing at the other side. He mouthed the words "Goodbye" and turned his back to her, facing the pack._

_Shira felt another tear go down her cheek, and ran into the forest, knowing that though her brother had broken the only passage to the river, Kravon and the pack would find a way to chase after her. _

_Nikolai snarled, dodging an attacking tiger and swiping another with his paw before he was tackled by Kravon. _

"_Nikolai, you fool." Kravon said, snarling._

"_Kill me if you wish, but do not harm my mate." Nikolai said._

_Kravon laughed, and got off of him, the tiger then being surrounded by three tigers. _

"_Only death is not severe enough for you, Nikolai." Kravon said evilly._

_Nikolai turned and saw Brianna, tears in her eyes as she was surrounded by three Sabers. _

"_Kravon, please-"_

"_You should have thought of the consequences of your actions before you helped Shira." Kravon said. "Know this, Nikolai; I will find her; and I will kill her. As I will your wife."_

"_NO!" Nikolai yelled, and the earth suddenly began to shake._

"_Son of a Mitch, what is going on?" Kravon roared, trees beginning to fall around them._

_Little did they know that Scrat had once again caused the world's problems, this time causing the continental drift. Cracks began to appear in the ground, the Saber Tooth Tigers looking around at the strange occurrence. Then the ground was ripped open into pieces, splitting everyone apart. The two Sabers guarding Brianna fell into one of the cracks to their deaths, while she struggled to hold on. Nikolai knocked two of the tigers over the edge and thought of jumping to Brianna's piece, but they were too far apart._

_They both looked into each other's eyes as they were pulled more and more apart from each other. _

_Meanwhile, Shira struggled to run from the earthquakes, evading falling rocks and trees. She then came to the coast, realizing that there was no escape now…except for what lay in the ocean._

"_Saber, get on board if you value your life." Gutt yelled from the ship, Shira running as fast as she could down the coast and jumping off of a rock, landing on the side of the ship._

_The ice made her slip, beginning to fall off of the boat until Gutt pulled her onto the ship, the two watching as the landscape was torn apart. _

"_Thank you…sir." Shira said. "Why did you save me?"_

"_To give you an…opportunity." Gutt grinned._

"_What kind of opportunity?" Shira asked._

"_Be my first mate and sail with me as we plunder the always shifting ice, and never go hungry! It's a good life, the only good life you can have with the world always shifting."_

_Shira debated the thought. She didn't know what to do on her own with what was happening, and joining Gutt seemed to be the only choice. _

"_Alright, I'm in." Shira said, knowing that she might regret it._

_Gutt smiled. "Good girl."_

They found more crew members on the way, and managed to find more than enough food than they would ever need. However, Shira forgot about what her brother had told her and her values…until he showed up. Diego changed her, and after the final battle where Shira turned against Gutt, she stayed with him and his friends.

* * *

A month had passed since she had last seen her brother, bowing her head in remembrance.

"Shira, are you alright?" Diego asked, walking up to her side.

Shira sighed. "Yeah, Diego; I'm fine."

"You don't seem like it, Shira." Diego said, making her look into her eyes.

She smiled at seeing her love's face, managing to cheer her up.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Diego." Shira said.

"Like what?" Diego asked, curious.

Shira looked at him. "You don't know my past."

"Is it rough?"

Shira nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry, Shira." Diego said, rubbing his head against her neck to comfort her.

"Thanks, Diego; but it doesn't matter now, because I have you." Shira said.

She purred as she rubbed her muzzle against his, the solemn night now turning into that of love.

Not far from them, a powerful paw crunched the snow beneath it, looking over the landscape. He turned to see the rest of his pack, some missing from the continental drift.

Kravon wanted revenge. And he could feel her presence drawing all the more closer.

**A/N: Shira remembers her past as Kravon draws closer to her. Please leave your thoughts on the first chapter in the reviews! Next chapter: A Not So Normal Day. A tiger from Shira's past returns, bringing about his ferocity. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	2. A Not So Normal Day

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 2: A Not So Normal Day

**A/N: Chapter 2 of my first non-KFP story, though I recommend that everyone read my other stories as well! And now to the chapter!**

Shira looked into Diego's eyes.

"We should get out of the snow; there'll be a blizzard soon." Shira said smiling.

"I agree with you." Diego said, the two hurrying down the mountain.

As they trekked through the snow, they saw a large cave in view. Patches of light were inside of it, not making it too dark. The two headed into the cave, brushing the snow off of their fur.

"Hello, Shira; it has been a long time." Kravon said, coming out of the shadows, with his pack.

Shira's eyes widened, Diego beginning to growl.

"Who are these guys?" Diego asked.

"Old friends." Shira said sarcastically.

"Finally, Shira; you will pay for running, and your boyfriend will as well." Kravon said, grinning.

Suddenly, they heard a snarl, turning to see two bright blue eyes in the darkness.

"It has been a long time, Kravon."

"Nikolai," Kravon said, laughing. "It has been a long time. However, you will not escape this time."

"I don't need to escape." Nikolai said, coming out of the shadows.

Shira's eyes lit up, a smile on her face. Diego was confused on who the Saber was, but kept his eyes on Kravon. Nikolai went to Shira's side, the two rubbing heads quickly, in happiness that the other was alive. He turned to Kravon, the three ready to do battle. Kravon charged at Shira first, Diego tackling the tiger before he could reach Shira, catching the eye of Nikolai.

Shira knocked two tigers to the ground with her paw, snarling. Nikolai tackled another Saber, knocking him out with his paw and fighting the rest. However, the numbers of the enemy tigers were about to overwhelm the three.

"Nikolai, the column!" Shira shouted, her brother looking at a natural column, holding up the roof of the cave.

He sprinted towards it and slammed his shoulder into it, cracking the column and making it begin to fall. The entire room began to rumble. He was tackled by Kravon, the Saber snarling at him.

"None of you shall escape me again!" He roared, only to be kicked in the "pride" by Nick rolling to the ground and freeing Nikolai.

"The whole cave is going to collapse!" Diego yelled, guiding Shira out of the cave, Nikolai jumping out of the entrance as it completely collapsed.

Nikolai's blood dripped onto the ground from a deep gash, but for the most part, the three were alright.

Shira tackled Nikolai, giving him a lick on the face and purring.

"I thought I lost you, Nick." Shira said.

"You'll never lose me." Nikolai said.

Diego stood at the side awkwardly brushing snow with his paw.

"Shira…is this your…exe-boyfriend?" He asked.

Shira and Nikolai both glared at him.

"This is my brother, Diego." She said coldly.

"Ok…this is awkward." Diego said, avoiding eye-contact with them.

Nikolai got up, Shira beginning to hammer her brother with questions.

"How did you survive the earthquakes?"

"Found a good chunk of land, and it drifted to this continent." Nikolai said. "I set out to try and find you…since you're all that I have left. And, I found you."

"What do you mean I'm all that you have left? Where's Brianna?" Shira asked, the tiger frowning and turning his head from her.

"Nick…where is she?"

"She's gone, Shira." Nikolai said, bowing his head. "And she will never come back."

"Nikolai…I'm so sorry." She said, trying to comfort him.

"There was nothing you could do." Nikolai said coldly.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and turned to see some of the "herd" in front of them.

"What happened?" Manny demanded.

"Wow, Diego…I didn't expect that when you banged it would cause this." Sid said, receiving glares from everyone.

"Shira, could you explain?" Diego asked, the female stepping forward.

"A Saber named Kravon brought a pack here to ambush and kill me; he failed, as you can see. He was my pack leader before I left, and now he's back to kill me; but I think he's dead now." She said, looking back at the collapsed cave.

"And who is this 'tough guy'?" Crash asked, making the large Saber growl.

"Everyone, this is my brother Nikolai." Shira said, stepping next to him.

Nikolai nodded. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"The pleasure's mine." Manny said, nodding. "Care to join our herd since you're her family."

"I am afraid not." Nikolai said. "My time is limited, and my time will come soon. Thank you for the offer though."

"If you care to rethink the offer, we're always here with outstretched arms. Well for me, an outstretched trunk." Manny said, making the group smile.

"Let's get out of this snow, before I die out here." Eddie said.

"Eddie, if you die, we'll think you're playing possum; then we'll leave your body here." Diego said chuckling, as the group headed away from the cave.

Little did they know that on the other side of the cave, stones were rolled away, and the wounded Kravon crawled out of the cave. He lay down on the snow outside of it, panting.

"Shira and Nikolai," Kravon said, his breath going back to normal, "you have only postponed your doom."

He got up, limping through the mountains to rally more men, to finally crush the two that ruined his pride.

* * *

Nikolai clawed a large tree, scraping off the bark with his powerful claws.

"Kravon," He murmured, knowing that the evil tiger was still alive. "If it kills me in the process, you'll never kill her. Not when I'm breathing."

He knocked down the tree with his paw, growling. His rage cooled, and he turned to the full moon, sitting down and looking at it.

"I miss you, Brianna." He said solemnly. "If it was not for Shira, I would have no will to live without you here. I wish we were still together…but I have a duty now. I have to guard her with my life still. "

Meanwhile, Shira found a spot on the coast that had no snow covering it and sprawled out, Diego lying down beside her. They saw the full moon in front of them, casting them in its glow. Oblivious to them, Crash, Eddie, and Sid hid in the trees, spying down at them.

"It's a beautiful night." Diego said. "Just like you."

Shira looked at him and smiled, giving him a lick on the cheek.

"This is too good." Sid whispered, covering his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

"Diego, I have something to tell you." Shira said, sighing.

"What is it?" Diego asked.

"My brother's great…but since we're together now and he is here…he may make you do tests in order to still date me."

"W-what kind of tests?" Diego asked nervously.

"Tests that will prove that you're fit to be the guy of my life." Shira answered. "He swore to our dying parents that he would protect me with his life, and find me a mate to do the same thing."

Diego shivered at the word "mate", not meaning he was worried about being hers, but _thrilled_.

"Well…I'll do it all if it means keeping you." Diego said, rubbing his muzzle against hers.

He was ready to do what was necessary to keep her.

**A/N: Diego assures Shira that he is ready for Nikolai's trials to prove his worth in keeping Shira. Next chapter: The Trials. Diego is tested by Nikolai for his worth. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	3. The Trials

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 3: The Trials

**A/N: Another chapter for my first non-KFP story! Will Diego finally win Shira? Find out this chapter!**

Nikolai sat perched on a rock overlooking the beach, watching the waves crash. He knew that the saber was behind him, but pretended not to notice Diego standing behind him.

"Could I talk to you?" Diego asked, the silver tiger nodding.

Diego sat beside him, watching the waves crash.

"So…you plan on making me do some tests to see if I am capable to keep Shira?" Diego asked.

Nikolai nodded. "Yes. If you pass them all, you may keep her; and my task will finally be done."

"Alright…when do we start?" Diego asked.

Nikolai grinned. "We can begin now."

Nikolai hopped down from the rock, Diego following him.

"Can you swim?" Nikolai asked. "Or are you a pussy cat as they say?"

"I can swim; I learned years ago." Diego said.

"I see. See that acorn floating out in the ocean?" Nikolai asked, and the tiger nodded. "Retrieve it, and bring it to me."

Diego sprinted into the water, beginning to paddle towards the acorn. Little did he know that Scrat was swimming towards it also, struggling to retrieve it.

"Ahah!" Diego said triumphantly as he grabbed it with one paw.

Scrat jumped on his head, biting his ear with his saber teeth. Diego yelled in pain, trying to shake off the squirrel. Nikolai watched from the beach, amused by the scene. Diego eventually swiped the squirrel off of his head and into the ocean, Scrat once again not getting his acorn.

Diego swam back at the shore, taking deep breaths from the confrontation with the squirrel.

"Had trouble with a squirrel? I've never seen a saber have trouble against such a small animal." Nikolai said, grinning.

"If you were me, you wouldn't have said that." Diego responded.

He tossed him the acorn, and Nikolai threw it back in the sea.

"Very good; it seems that you can swim. Now, on to the next test; follow me."

Nikolai led him into the forest, where he got low to the ground, Diego following his lead. In front of them was a deer grazing in the grass, Nikolai grinning at it.

"Take down that deer." He commanded.

"With pleasure." Diego said, readying to pounce.

He roared and leapt forward, the deer trying to run. Diego chased it down, and tackled the deer. Nikolai walked casually up to them, and nodded.

"This is to ensure that you can hunt for her. The swimming was so that if she was in danger in the sea, you could save her." Nikolai said. "It seems you have passed. Meet me at the beach in thirty minutes…after you finish your meal."

* * *

Diego found him waiting, and the silver tiger took him to a large mountain.

"Climb this mountain; I will see you at the top." Nikolai said and jumped, grabbing onto the rocks and beginning to climb.

Diego smirked and jumped onto the mountainside, beginning to climb. He kept going up, beginning to tire. However, he noticed that Nikolai was not even breaking a sweat, and Diego went as hard as he could to keep up with Nikolai.

"It is not that much more until we're at the top." Nikolai said, moving above him.

Diego nodded…and then slipped.

"Diego!" Nikolai yelled and grabbed his paw with his own, making him dangle in midair.

Diego looked up at his savior, Nikolai nodding and helping him back onto the rocks, the two beginning to climb again. Diego kept going, and eventually met Nikolai at the top.

"Congratulations; now we have to get down, that is the end of this test."

Nikolai put his back to the mountainside and began to climb down, sliding down with his claws. Diego followed his lead, doing so more slowly in order to not fall, since he was inexperienced with "repelling". Repelling was easier for Diego, and soon they were back on the ground.

Nikolai stood confidently, waiting for him.

"Now, we have one final test; follow me to the clearing." Nikolai said, leading Diego to his last test.

Diego was happy, since the tests were not hard at all and he would soon be ensured that Shira would be his finally. Nikolai sensed these feelings, and grinned as he walked.

They came to the clearing, where Diego found Shira, Manny, Ellie, Crash and Eddie, Peaches, and Louis all waiting around the clearing, already told by Nikolai of Diego's final test.

"Don't screw up!" Sid said.

"Shut up Sid!" Diego grumbled, and went to the center of the clearing.

"I'm glad your dad didn't make me do anything like this." Louis said, and Peaches nodded.

"As you all know, I have put Diego through three tests already, to see if he is a true saber in order to keep Shira. Now, it is his final test." Nikolai said, facing Diego. "Now, Diego must face me in combat; if he wins, he keeps my sister. If he does not, he is never to go near her again."

"Wait…what?" Diego asked, a bit nervous.

"You heard me." Nikolai said, beginning to circle the tiger.

Diego crouched low, turning to face Nikolai as he circled him. Nikolai roared and charged, barely missing Diego as he slipped away. Diego tackled the tiger but he quickly kicked him off of him and got up.

"A good start." Nikolai said and grabbed him by the throat with his teeth.

Shira's eyes widened in fear. However, Nikolai was not trying to kill Diego. He was trying to get a grip on his neck in order to pin him onto the ground. However, the teeth clamping down on him made Diego groan in pain, before he was grappled to the ground.

Diego knew that Shira was on the line, and was desperately trying to find a way to get Nikolai off of him. An idea hit him; his only chance of turning the tide of the fight.

He kicked Nikolai in the "pride", making him yelp, release his grip on Diego, and roll to the ground, holding his legs together and groaning.

"Every man's weakness!" Sid yelled.

"Sid, everyone knows you don't have those." Manny said, making Sid look down, embarrassed.

Diego snarled and tackled Nikolai, pinning him on the ground, and pushing his paws on his throat to suffocate him (in order to make him surrender). However, Nikolai never surrendered. He growled and slapped Diego across the face with his paw, sending him tumbling backwards.

Nikolai got up and circled Diego once again. Both were tiring.

"Go for the Jugular, Diego!" Sid yelled.

"Shut up Sid." Manny said.

Diego and Nikolai both charged at each other, hitting each other in the chest with their paws and trying to knock the other down. Diego swiped Nikolai's face twice with his paw, but the silver tiger would not go down. Neither would go down. It was a deadlock. Neither could get a good opportunity against the other.

Shira and the others watched the long fight with anxiety throughout it, worried if their friend (and Shira's love) would finally get her. Night came, and the fight dragged on for hours.

Nikolai hit Diego with his paw, managing to knock him down. As he leapt to pin him to the ground, Diego rolled away and got up, hitting Nikolai across the face in retaliation. Nikolai roared and tackled him, trying to bite his neck. Diego elbowed him in the face however, disorienting him.

Diego got up and tackled Nikolai again, pinning down his paws to ensure he had no true way of escape.

"Do you concede?" Diego asked.

"It'll take more than that." Nikolai said, and head-butted Diego, shaking him up and throwing him off of Nikolai.

The battle continued to go on, dragging on and on and on. Soon, the fighters slowed in their attacks, and just faced each other, still ready to fight but with little energy left.

"Diego…congratulations; it is a draw." Nikolai said.

The herd cheered for Diego, and Shira went up to the tired tiger, rubbing against him with her muzzle in a loving way.

Nikolai nodded. "No foe has ever defeated me, nor come to a draw with me. I have tremendous respect for you now, Diego. You may keep Shira, and take her as your mate."

The herd came around Diego, congratulating him and giving him pats on the back for his "victory". Shira stayed with Diego, not noticing until much later that Nikolai was nowhere to be seen.

"Congrats, Diego; I'm so glad that we can finally be together now." Shira said, purring.

"All of the trials were worth it." Diego said.

Shira looked into his eyes. "I'll be back; I just need to go find Nikolai first."

Diego nodded, and Shira vanished into the forest. The tigress found her brother resting on a rock overlooking an icy mountain, his eyes closed as he meditated.

"Hey Nikolai." She said, and sat next to him.

"Hello, Shira." Nikolai grumbled, his eyes opening.

"What are you going to do now? You're not going to just leave now that you've done all the tests, are you?" Shira asked.

"I don't know, Shira." Nikolai said, sighing. "I suppose I'll stay for a little while. Then I must face Kravon."

"But he has an entire pack! You can't face him alone!" Shira said.

"I'm not bringing you or any of your friends into this; this is my battle." Nikolai said, when they heard rustling of branches in the hill above them.

He looked up, his eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"Stay here." He whispered, going low, and slowly going up the hill as Shira stood at the foot of it.

The figure tried to run, and Nikolai chased after it, tackling the figure and pinning it to the ground.

"Who are you?" Nikolai said, snarling.

His eyes widened, as he saw who it was. "Ryu?"

"Hello, Nikolai." The female said smiling.

**A/N: Diego completes the trials while Nikolai finds an old friend. Next chapter: Ryu. Nikolai's old friend has returned, but has she brought joy or trouble with her? Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	4. Ryu and the Kaiser

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 4: Ryu and the Kaiser

**A/N: Another chapter of my first non-KFP story! Please be sure to check out my other stories as well when you get the chance! Please don't find this chapter offensive in any way. I will explain in the author's note at the end my purpose behind it. And now to the chapter!**

His eyes widened as he saw who it was. "Ryu?"

"Hello, Nikolai." The female said smiling, and then pushing forward and getting on top of Nikolai and reversing who was on top. "It is good to see you."

Nikolai growled and pushed back at her, getting on top of her again and ensuring that she would not be able to get the upper hand again.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

He let her up, and circled her, the female still smiling. She had tan fur, black paws and eyes, and black on the tip of her ears. Shira was puzzled on who this was, and what Nikolai knew her from.

"I'm only here to see my savior, Nikolai." She said, looking at him with an innocent expression. "You saved me at that battle and I never got to thank you…let alone find a home."

"You will not find a home here!" Nikolai snarled.

"Nikolai, don't." Shira said.

"She is no good! She cannot stay here." He roared.

Shira saw Ryu like herself, looking for a home.

"She's like me, Nikolai. She wants a home." Shira said. "Let her stay." She said, pushing on his shoulder with her paw.

Nikolai took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine, but keep her away from me."

He walked away, leaving the two alone. Shira turned to Ryu.

"I'm sorry; my brother is a little overprotective and aggressive." Shira said. "So he saved you years ago?"

Ryu nodded. "A battle in Germany. The German saber clans, and some Siberian clans, allied together and fought against invading clans to those territories."

"I was at that battle!" Shira exclaimed. "My father was Siberian, and my mother German. They met each other during the German-Siberian alliance years ago, and so my brother and I have Siberian and German blood in us. This was when my pack under Kravon actually fought for a noble cause against the invaders!"

"Kravon? Never heard of him…" Ryu said nervously. "Anyways, I was one of the invaders unfortunately and was wounded, but Nikolai saved me and helped me recover from my wounds; then he let me go, hoping that I would find my retreating clans. Unfortunately, I didn't. I just roamed and looked for a home. Now I have come here to try and win Nikolai over…perhaps become his mate.

Shira whistled. "Well, you'll have some trouble with that last part." The two laughed. "But you'll have a home here. No worries."

"Thank you…what's your name?" Ryu asked.

"Shira," She responded smiling.

"Thank you, Shira." Ryu said.

"You're welcome. So, would you like me to show you around?" Shira asked.

"Of course." Ryu said smiling.

Meanwhile, the evil mastermind watched with a grin on his face. "Excellent, Ryu."

He said, no one hearing him but himself. Another saber went beside him.

"More and more Siberian and foreign clans have joined us, my lord." He said.

"Excellent, Dimitri." Kravon said.

* * *

Hours later.

No one in the herd knew of where Nikolai had gone. The saber had gone underground, into a series of caves that worked as large tunnels, and they connected to the European continent.

He found an underground volcano, filled with magma and hot geysers. That was where he would meet the leaders.

"Where is he, Fritz?" One asked.

"He will be here, Arthur." The Saber Tooth responded.

The Smilodons gathered there all represented their clans, which held large packs within them.

"I wait in this volcano for him to turn up, but he has yet to. Where is he?" One asked, named Bruno.

A geyser's burst shot up.

"I have arrived, my friends." Nikolai said, the geyser's burst finished.

"Nikolaus, it is good to see you." Fritz said smiling.

"And you, my friend." Nikolai said, jumping off of a rock and landing in front of them.

"We haven't seen you since the battle for Germany and Siberia." Bruno said.

Nikolai nodded. "Much time has passed since then."

"Why have you summoned us all, Nikolaus?" Arthur asked.

"There is a new threat to our lands, my friends. This time, it is from Siberia."

"Siberia? We have been allies since we defeated the barbarians! Why would they betray us?" Fritz asked.

"They have a new leader who has risen up to unite them." Nikolai said, pacing the ground in front of him and being sure not to fall into the magma.

"Who? Surely it is a barbarian, who the Siberians believe to be one of their own." Bruno said.

"No…it is Kravon." Nikolai said.

"Kravon?! He fought alongside us!" Arthur exclaimed.

"He has been corrupted since then. He tried to force my sister into marriage with him, and so we both left the clan. Now he hunts us down for revenge, and is determined to finally crush us with undefeatable numbers. However, once he's done with us, he will turn on Germany and invade it, promising his comrades your lands and much more."

"That is something we will not accept." Fritz said, stepping forward. "We will fight until the last man falls before we become slaves!"

"I have no doubt of Germany's extreme courage and bravery, my friend." Nikolai said.

"What must we do to stop them, Nikolaus?" Fritz asked.

"Ready all of your troops; though you will be outnumbered, our strength and bravery will defeat them." The silver tiger responded.

"And who will lead our unified army?" Arthur asked.

Fritz smiled. "I think we know who will."

The group nodded.

"Kaiser Nikolaus will lead us to victory against our former allies." Bruno said smiling.

Nikolai smiled. "I will gladly lead you all to battle."

"Then it is settled." Another said, named Hartwin.

"Long live the Kaiser!" Fritz shouted.

"Long live the Kaiser!" The others shouted in unison.

Nikolai's smile widened. "We shall send them back from whence they came, my friends!"

The group cheered, not knowing that Diego had followed Nikolai and had been watching the entire conversation.

"What will you fight for, Kaiser?" Fritz asked.

Mitch laughed and paced the ground next to a wall. "Glory…honor… revenge…" He said, scraping the wall with his claws in an eerie manner, and then stopping. "And of course, the preservation of our glorious Germany."

"We will give our lives for that cause." Bruno said.

"A new age has dawned for Germany! One of power yet peace, and prosperity! Once this is over, there will be no more war, no more sorrow! We will take our place firmly in this world in our glorious future!"

The group cheered, and saluted him with their paws. Diego thought Kravon was dead. Now he knew otherwise, and a large war was brewing. But he did not want Shira, himself, or any of the herd to be a part of it.

Lava shot up around the room for a brief minute, but none were afraid with the eagerness of to follow their leader to battle.

"We will triumph, and push them back to Siberia, if not conquering them!" Nikolai said. "Nothing will stand against us!"

* * *

A blizzard descended on the island, concealing Kravon entirely.

"I can't find Nikolai." Ryu said, approaching him. "He's gone."

"How did you lose him?" He demanded, grabbing a hold of her throat with his paw.

"He just…walked away after I came in…I'm sure he'll be back." Ryu said.

Kravon sneered, and threw Ryu to the ground, the female coughing from the grip on her neck.

"Once this blizzard subsides, I will release the Megalania; when Nikolai, Shira, and their friends die, they will get a slow and bloody death; and I will watch the Giant Ripper do its work, and if the Germans are alerted, there is a good chance that we will not win this, though we outnumber them."

"But why kill Shira's friends? They have nothing to do with what she and her brother have done in the past!" Ryu asked.

"I enjoy more carnage to watch. You should get used to it, especially if you want to stay with us and have a home." Kravon said.

"Yes…my lord." Ryu said.

Kravon smiled. "Soon they will be dead and there will be nothing between us and conquering our former allies. Everything is working just as I have planned now."

**A/N: Kravon prepares to unleash the ancient Giant Ripper on the herd. Please don't find the chapter offensive, as I did not try to do so. I wanted to show the "German" sabers as proud and strong, and I would in NO WAY want to put a bad image on them. I am German myself and I am proud of it. They want to defend their home and make Nikolai their "Kaiser" since I know German history and know that the Imperial Germany had that as their leader. I want to show them as the good guys of course, and the Siberians as villains. No offense intended. Next chapter: The Giant Ripper. The Megalania is released. Please review, share, comment, and please, NO FLAMES!**


	5. The Giant Ripper

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 5: The Giant Ripper

**A/N: Back with another chapter of my first non-KFP story! The story is getting deeper, and the chapters more intense! I hope you all love where the story is going! And remember, I have nothing against Germany or Siberia (Russia). And now to the chapter!**

Kravon sat on the side of the mountain, the entire island in view. His keen saber eyesight allowed him to see nearly all of the large island, and Ryu sat beside him. Dimitri came up to Kravon and bowed.

"Is it released?" Kravon asked.

"Yes, my lord." Dimitri said. "And it is not very happy about being locked away all that time."

Kravon chuckled. "Good. Very good. Adding to this, it is good to know that all of Siberia has been twisted by myself into believing the Germans to be the enemies. With such a force, we will overwhelm them."

"And what of prisoners that we capture, my lord?" Ryu asked, not a cold-blooded killer like her leader.

"There will be no prisoners." Kravon said. "Otherwise we would have no room for our own in the expanded kingdom."

"Yes…my lord." Ryu said, upset that she would have to take a part in such bloodshed.

* * *

Nikolai came out of the caves and stepped into the sunlight, seeing Diego waiting for him with a glare.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"How much did you hear?" Nikolai growled.

"Kaiser, eh? And I now realize the scar on your face." Diego said. "It is a saber's mark of shame."

Nikolai roared and tackled the saber, snarling.

"You best watch what words you speak Diego." Nikolai growled. "Or I might slit your throat, my sister's mate or not."

"What did you do to deserve that?" Diego asked, unafraid.

"You have no idea what I have done." Nikolai said in a lower tone.

Suddenly, they heard a roar that echoed across the island.

**…**

Manny walked with Sid, Peaches, and Louis in the evening when they heard the loud roar.

"What was that? Are those my kids?" Sid asked.

"I thought the dinosaurs were down below? Is that some predator or something?" Peaches asked her father.

"I don't know what that was but get up in the trees with Louis, you'll be safe there!" Manny said, the two obeying him and getting high up in the trees, trying to see the large beast.

"I'll find your mother and the others!" He said and hurried off.

He went through the forest, finding Ellie, Shira, Crash, and Eddie with their backs to a cliff and the monster ready to devour them or send them to their deaths. Manny's eyes widened. It was the Megalania or the "Giant Ripper". Though it was not as big as a dinosaur during those times, it was the top of the food chain. Like the Komodo Dragon and other lizards, it had deadly toxins in its saliva that if an animal was bitten once by it, it would be killed quickly by the venom. It fed off of Humans, sabers, and even mammoths. It was the dinosaur of the ice age, and the herd was its prey.

"Hey runt, over here!" Manny yelled, waving his trunk.

The large reptile turned its attention to him, hissing. It charged at him, much faster than he had planned.

"Oh crap!" He said and turned around, beginning to run as fast as he could from the monster.

It gained on him, and Manny spun around, facing his fate. The Giant Ripper opened its jaws to kill Manny but Nikolai slammed into the side of its face, hitting it with his paws and knocking its head into a tree. The monster lost balance temporarily, but then glared at Nikolai, its attention now completely on him.

"Go, I got this." Nikolai said to Manny as he grinned at the monster. "Come on shithead, eat me!"

The monster lunged at him, Nikolai dodging him and cutting the side of the monster's face with his claws. The Megalania roared in anger and pain, and swiped Nikolai with its claws, cutting his chest and making him slam into a nearby tree. He staggered up and coughed up blood, glaring at the monster.

"Fick dich" He said angrily, translating to f**k you.

The monster opened its jaws just as Diego got on top of it, biting into its neck and sinking his long teeth into its neck. The monster snarled in pain and spun around several times, trying to shake Diego off. It eventually swiped him off with its arm and the saber tumbled to the ground. Manny slammed into the side of it with his tusks, pushing it towards the edge. However, the monster shoved him back and sent him to the ground.

"It's no use." Diego said. "We're done for."

"No, not yet; I have a friend who specializes in wrangling oversized reptiles." Nikolai said, and he whistled.

They heard a strange yell echo over the island and a small animal jumped into the air out of a tree, raising a knife. The animal landed on the back of the beast and pulled several ropes around its neck, creating a harness. The monster fought the animal, but he kept on him and drove him towards the cliff. The monster slipped over it, the animal doing a backflip off of the Ripper and landing on the edge, watching as it fell to its end on the ground below.

He turned around to them and grinned, throwing up his knife and catching it.

"Anyone miss me?" Buck asked.

"Holy shit!" Diego said and rushed up to the weasel.

"I thought you were down with the dinosaurs!" Manny said.

"I thought I'd take a good vacation and realized it's pretty nice up here!" Buck said, propping himself against Nikolai's paw and twirling his knife.

"But what about Rudy?" Ellie asked.

"Rudy's roaming right now; in an enclosed area of course." Buck said laughing. "So, heard a large quake about a month ago. What happened?"

"All of the land shifted." Manny answered. "How did you get here?"

"Wounded up two sea turtles and made a raft, and got here on Nikolai's request." Buck said and jumped to Nikolai's side, the saber smirking and giving him a hi-five with his paw.

"How did you find him?" Diego asked.

"It was fate that two badasses would find each other." Nikolai responded.

"Amen to that my friend. Say, any of you have some food?" Buck asked.

"Not at the minute old pal. How long do you plan on staying here?" Diego asked.

"Well until I, Nick, and his friends stop this invading army."

"What?" Shira asked, stepping forward. "What is he talking about?"

"Don't act surprised, sister." Nikolai said, stepping forward.

"You've gotten yourself into a war?"

"I make my own decisions." Nikolai said, receiving a slap from her.

"I never did understand women." Buck grumbled.

The saber laughed and looked back into her eyes.

"You're going to get yourself killed." Shira said. "If Kravon is leading the Siberians, you will die. You against thousands is not going to end well."

"That is where you are wrong, sister." He said smiling. "All of Germany's forces are following me. Speaking of which, part of the entire force is here just on time."

Shira's eyes widened as down the hillside came several hundred sabers, all carrying ferocious faces. Among them Shira saw Fritz, Mitch's best friend and his greatest ally.

"Times are changing, Shira." Nikolai said turning, hopping onto a tall rock and facing them, presenting himself as the army's leader. "You can join us in the defense of our mother's homeland, or eventually be killed by Kravon's horde. We can't protect you forever."

"And Diego." Nikolai said, turning to him. "You no longer call me Nikolai; call me Kaiser."

"Long live the Kaiser!" The army shouted, raising their paws and saluting their proud leader.

"What will you do with my friends, Nikolai?" Buck asked, worried of them.

"Daddy!" Peaches said, she and Louis being brought out of the forest by several strong sabers.

"Stay calm Peaches!" Manny said.

"What will you do with them?" Buck said, urgency in his voice.

Mitch smiled. "They will not be harmed; none of them will be harmed. They can join me, or they can coexist with our glorious future if Kravon does not hunt them down." He turned to Manny. "You do realize that since you have associated yourself with Shira, Kravon will hunt you down as well, do you not?"

"I understand." Manny said. "Will you protect us from him?"

"We Germans are kind." Nikolai said. "We will protect you; however, I could use your strength against Kravon; my soldiers are superior but they are outnumbered."

"I'm not a soldier…I'm a father." Manny said.

"If you persevere, you can do both." Nikolai said.

"How are you so sure? You have never had a wife or children!"

Shira bit her lip, and Nikolai laughed, releasing the rage that was in him from the mammoth's comment.

"I was a husband, going to be a father, and I still am a warrior." Nikolai said.

"I am sorry for your loss." Manny said.

"You never knew them." Nikolai growled.

The army stood below Nikolai, hearing his troubled past. This earned him even more of their respect. They saw him as one who had lost his wife and children to be, and they knew that could be them if Kravon was victorious. They would follow him to hell if they had to, since they were so loyal to him. But that afterlife was no place for heroes.

"I lost a family as well." Manny said, bowing his head in remembrance.

Nikolai's cold expression faded.

"They were killed by the humans. But that was fate. And now I have a beautiful wife and daughter, and I would not have had them if that they had not perished."

"Life is cruel, Manny. But you must make the best out of it." Nikolai said. "Will you and your friends help me?"

Diego stepped forward. He wanted to make things right.

"As Shira's mate, that makes me your brother in law." Diego said. "I will fight with you, and hopefully earn your trust, friendship, and acceptance."

"Don't agree to anything." Shira said, stepping forward.

"Don't worry Shira, I'll be fine." Diego reassured her, and turned back to face the saber.

"If Diego is in, I am as well." Manny said and stepped forward, Peaches and Ellie trying to protest this but he nodded to them in reassurance that he would be fine.

"Excellent," Nikolai said smiling. "Two strong warriors have joined our cause. Any of you else?"

Sid, Crash, and Eddie stepped forward.

"We will do our duty sir Kaiser sir!" Crash and his brother said saluting.

The army and Nikolai began to laugh.

"What, are you going to annoy them to death?" Nikolai asked, laughing hysterically.

"We will try sir!" Sid said and saluted.

Nikolai rolled his eyes. "A good diversion at least." He murmured.

"So, what do we do now?" Diego asked.

"I suppose we spend the night here." Nikolai said and hopped off of the rock, the army following behind him as he went up to them. "And my soldiers are most likely hungry; do you have any food for them by chance?"

"Um…" Manny said, not wanting to sacrifice any member of the other animals of the herd to the large army. "…Sid will get them their meal."

"Wait…I will?" Sid asked, receiving a slap on the back of the head by Manny.

"I see." Nikolai said, and went in front of Shira. "It is good to have you on our cause. What about you, sister? Up for another glorious battle?"

Shira growled and went eye to eye with him. "The only reason I'm in is so you don't get killed."

"I appreciate your concern, but I do not care if I die in battle; as long as Kravon dies in the end, I am happy."

**A/N: Most of the herd joins Nikolai and Buck in their crusade against Kravon! Next chapter: Ambush. Kravon puts matters into his own hands, ready to finally kill Shira and break the spirits of the herd. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	6. Ambush

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 6: Ambush

**A/N: I'm back with another chapter! Please tell your friends of this story, and thanks for all the support!**

_The young tigress ran through the snow, coming onto a hill looking over the encampment of her pack. She saw her parents conversing with new visitors, and saw her brother talking with a young tigress._

_She let out a small laugh at seeing her brother's way with women even though he was just a young cub still. Shira hurried down the hill, her mother stopping her._

"_Ryu, why are you running?" Her mother asked smiling._

"_Just wanting to see who Nikolai is talking with, mother." Shira responded._

"_She is the daughter of one of the visitors here from the distant lands of Asia, here to ensure that Germany and Siberia coexist with them in peace." Her mother said._

"_It seems Nikolai has a crush on her." Shira said._

_The white tiger laughed. "I'm sure he does; she is a beautiful girl, and hopefully they will be married in the future; that would not only make me happy but it would also show the alliance with Asia."_

"_Mom, I'm too young for this 'ruling the lands' and 'alliances' stuff. I don't get it!"_

"_You will soon enough, Shira." Her mother said and patted her on the head with her paw. "Now run along now, and meet this young saber; she's probably just like you."_

_Shira smiled. "Ok mom." She said and rubbed her muzzle against her mother's in a kiss, purring before running towards the two._

"_So full of life, so graceful." Shira's father said, watching her run towards them and rubbing his head against his wife's._

"_We did a good job raising them." Her mother said._

"_It's not over yet." Her father said, chuckling._

_Shira came up to the two, Nikolai and the female turning and smiling at her._

"_Shira, this is Ryu! Ryu, this is Shira!" Mitch said, introducing them to the other._

"_It's nice to meet you." Ryu said smiling._

"_Nice to meet you too." Shira said returning the smile. "So you're from the distant lands of Asia?"_

_Ryu nodded. "It was a long journey getting here; we had to dodge humans also, since we were in a small pack."_

"_If only we could get along." Nikolai said nodding. _

"_When will you have to leave?" Shira asked._

"_A few days, after everything is discussed and we've rested for a while." Ryu responded._

"_Well we've still got plenty of time to hang out." Shira said smiling. "Hey Nikolai, can I talk to her alone?"_

"_Sure thing sis." Nikolai said and winked, then walked away to give them their privacy._

"_Hey, just thought I'd let you know that I think Nikolai likes you." Shira said and giggled._

_Ryu blushed and nodded. "Yeah, he can't keep his eyes off me. I think it's going both ways. He's a cute saber."_

"_He's a good guy too."_

"_No doubt about it." Ryu said, her smile widening. "It's good that our clans are in this alliance."_

But that alliance did not last, nor did the relationship that Ryu hoped for. Tensions broke out and Asia invaded Siberia and Germany, the two countries protecting the other from the invaders. The invaders were finally defeated in what would be later Berlin, the capitol of Germany.

Nikolai married Brianna, and enjoyed a happy marriage until her death. Long before that however, the battle for Berlin raged and Nikolai recognized Ryu on the battlefield, sparing her from death since they had once loved each other and were friends. She wandered until she found Kravon again, the evil saber promising her a home in return for her betrayal of Nikolai and his sister.

Though Shira had completely forgotten of her, Nikolai had not. He never did. Years after the final battle in Berlin, Kravon assumed control of the clan. Kravon had always hated Nikolai and his parents, but saw Shira as a beautiful saber, fit to be his queen. He would take her as his mate, even if he had to by force. He could not kill them all at once, so he could avoid suspicion by his troops. He would kill the parents first, then her brother. And then Shira would be his.

What happened that fateful night changed the fate of Shira and Nikolai.

_Snow began to fall on the small group of sabers as they stood in the forest._

"_You must realize that what we do here is for the greater good of our clan; and we will bring it to glory once the dead weight is removed. Nikolai will take the fall for their deaths, and no one will suspect us. You all have been brought here because I know that you will not betray me and will follow me to death; Do what has to be done." Kravon said._

_The sabers nodded and vanished into the forest, readying for the murder. Kravon went back to the camp, finding the camp that the clan was using. He walked into a cave where Shira and her parents were laying, Shira looking up at Kravon and smiling, unaware of his scheming and evil behind him._

"_Hello Kravon." She whispered. "My mom and dad are asleep. Try not to wake them."_

"_Of course." Kravon said smiling. "Could you come talk with me?"_

"_Sure." Shira said and quietly got up, following him out._

_At the center of the camp sat Nikolai, taking his turn as the guard over the camp. If anything came to try and harm the sabers, they would have to deal with him first. That was how Kravon planned to make him take the fall._

"_You've been guarding all night. Here; take some water." Dimitri said and slid a bowl full of water up to the saber._

"_Thank you, Dimitri." Nikolai said._

_Dimitri nodded and walked off. The water was filled with the clear juice of a berry capable of putting even a mammoth to sleep temporarily, mixed with the water. Nikolai would fall asleep and not suspect anything._

_The white tiger drank the water and kept his eye on the perimeters, Kravon's men lying in wait. Nikolai's eyes began to glaze over, and he struggled to stay up. He finally collapsed and fell into a silent sleep, trying to wake back up but being unable to do so, thus feeling that he was abandoning his duty. _

"_He's out." Dimitri said, and the sabers moved towards the parents' cave, unsheathing their claws and moving silently to not awake the other tigers._

_Kravon led Shira to the side of a mountain where they sat down._

"_Shira, I have been needing to tell you something." Kravon said. "You have grown into a very beautiful girl, Shira."_

"_Thank you, Kravon." Shira said smiling._

"_And if you would, I would like to make you my queen." Kravon said._

"_Thank you, Kravon; I will think it over." Shira said nervously._

"_Of course." Kravon said, and postponed her for an hour while the work was done and the true evidence covered up._

_Kravon and Shira returned, finding Dimitri and the others run up to them._

"_Shira, y-your parents!" Dimitri said, producing a fake and believable shock in his voice and face._

_Shira's eyes widened and she ran to the cave, her eyes widening as she came face to face with her dead parents._

"_No…no…no." Shira said, beginning to cry and turning away._

"_I am sorry, Shira." Kravon lied. "Who is responsible for this? Assassins?"_

"_I don't know, my lord." Dimitri lied, and turned to the now waking up Nikolai from the noise._

"_He was supposed to be on watch! He let them get through or her himself murdered them!" Dimitri said, the entire clan looking at the white tiger._

"_What did I do?!" Nikolai yelled, looking around at the tigers._

"_You are responsible for the death of your parents!" Kravon roared._

"_What?" Nikolai yelled, then saw the bodies of his parents. "No…no…that is impossible!"_

"_You fell asleep on duty at least, a failure to our clan!" Kravon yelled._

"_I would never do anything to harm my parents!" Nikolai said, tears forming in his eyes._

"_Murderer!" Kravon roared, Shira turning and facing her brother._

"_Kravon! Stop!" Shira said, running to him with tears still in her eyes. _

_Though she knew that he could have been responsible for their deaths, she still loved him; and he would never harm his parents, she knew that._

"_He did not kill them! Give him mercy!" Shira begged._

"_The only mercy he will get is a mark of shame!" Kravon yelled, walking towards Nikolai. "You are responsible for the deaths of two members of our clan; your parents!"_

"_I…I accept the blame." Nikolai said, bowing his head._

_Though he did not know what had happened, he would not fight judgment._

"_You shall bear this mark of shame for the rest of your miserable life as a reminder of your sin. And you shall serve me for that time as well." Kravon said, and Nikolai raised his head._

_Kravon raised his left paw, and pressed it against Nikolai's face. _

"_This will only hurt a little." Kravon lied, grinning._

_He dug into his flesh, and drove down over his eyelid as Nikolai grunted in the pain. Shira winced and covered her eyes, prompting her to cry even more. When the cut was done, Kravon put his paw down and backed up, Nikolai raising his head through gritted teeth, now bearing the gash that would heal into the red scar that he held over his right eye for the rest of his life. _

"_Rise, Nikolai; my humble servant! I have given you a second chance, and you shall die nobly in the glorious cause for great Siberia!" Kravon said, and Dimitri and the other murderers cheered. "Murderer and soldier you are; my greatest warrior."_

* * *

As Shira told Diego the tragic tale, Diego felt sorrow for Shira and Nikolai, whom he misinterpreted by his actions earlier. After the death of his parents, Nikolai's joyful attitude was crushed, and completely overcome by his inner warrior and sorrow over the loss of them. He still had some joy at times, but most was lost to the flames.

"I'm really sorry, Shira." Diego said and rubbed his muzzle against her neck in comfort.

"It's ok, Diego." Shira said, tears rolling down her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Diego asked.

"Don't let him die; he's all I have left of the past." Shira said.

"I will try my best." Diego said.

"I know you will." Shira said solemnly and licked him on the cheek, Diego perking up at her action of love.

"Aww, love is blooming." Dimitri said, stepping down to them as well as the other Siberians who surrounded them.

"Dimitri…you bastard." Shira growled.

"Good to see you too." Dimitri said smiling. "I'm afraid that your looks will not save you now. You are surrounded and Kravon has ordered me to kill you…after we ravage you."

Diego roared loudly, frightening the sabers even and making them jump back slightly. The roar echoed over the island, the group not knowing who actually heard it.

"Touch her and you die." Diego said growling.

"Aww, your friend is ready to die for you Shira! What a waste of life. Well, let's get to work boys!" Dimitri said, and nodded to them.

One saber leaped at them, receiving a powerful slap by Diego that knocked him out cold. Another jumped and was slashed by Shira's claws, killing him. Another jumped in to only have its neck broken by Diego, but two more tackled him and held him down.

Shira struggled to fight the rest but saw that she was outnumbered, and surrounded without Diego's help.

"Give up, kitty." Dimitri said. "It will make it all the more easier."

Suddenly, a trunk swung and knocked the sabers pinning Diego down off of him. Three grey sabers rushed in, taking on the seven sabers surrounding Shira and defeating them. Only Dimitri remained. He heard a roar before being tackled by the enraged Nikolai, the tiger glaring down at him.

"Hello, Nikolai." Dimitri said, smirking up at him.

"You have chosen the wrong side, Dimitri; now it costs you your life." Nikolai said angrily.

Dimitri laughed. "Yes, but a few lives to you and your friends is a good trade; Kravon will crush your small army, and he will kill you all. Shira will be raped over and over before she is even given a slow death. And you will watch it all, helpless to save her."

Nikolai yelled in anger and began to choke him, Dimitri struggling to breath.

"Nikolai-" Diego said, trying to rush towards him, but Shira and the German sabers stopped him.

"You die for your wicked ways!" Nikolai yelled, applying more pressure on him.

Only a minute later, Dimitri went limp, killed by Nikolai. The white tiger got up and turned to the two.

"We heard you Diego from across the island, and knew something was wrong; I got Manny and a few of my men over here as fast as I could, and now I've saved your ass once again." Nikolai said smirking.

"Thanks, Nikolai." Diego said, Shira nodding to her brother.

Nikolai nodded. "Let's get back; the army's about to eat Sid."

"I'd like to see this." Manny said as the group started the trip back.

**A/N: Shira tells of her past and Dimitri is killed. Next chapter: Love Blossoms. The love between Shira and Diego strengthens, but a new love is born as well. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	7. Love Blossoms

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 7: Love Blossoms

**A/N: I have returned with another chapter yet again! Be warned, this has extreme sexual themes! Not really THAT bad but definitely increased compared to the other chapters. You have been warned, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. Now, on to the chapter!**

The group came back to the camp, a group of sabers coming up to them.

"Nikolai, what happened up there?" Fritz asked.

"Diego and Shira were ambushed." He replied, not stopping to talk with him. "Dimitri and seven other Siberians are dead."

"One less problem." Fritz said nodding.

"Have the troops been fed?" Nikolai asked, stopping.

"No; instead of eating Sid, whom they called 'junk food', they threw him into the ocean to search for a good meal of sea food."

"They threw him into the ocean?!" Manny exclaimed.

"Relax Manny, Sid usually somehow finds a way to survive." Diego said.

"He's always on the wild side." Manny said sighing.

"I'll go with Diego and a pack of sabers to search for Sid; he should have found something by now." Nikolai said. "Go to the field; the rest of your 'herd' and my army is waiting there."

Manny nodded and left, Diego and Nikolai heading towards the coast. They came to volcanic ground, where Nikolai stopped the group.

"Watch your step; this ground is hollow, and there's something hot underneath it…boiling water I presume. You don't want to get cooked now don't you?"

Diego felt the heat under his paws, and saw a bit of smoke come out of a nearby hole.

"It's a geyser." He said, Nikolai nodding.

The Germans split up and went down the coast and onto the beach, searching for the sloth…or what was left of him.

Nikolai and Diego stood at the edge of the water when they saw a head pop out of the water, gasping for air.

"Sid, come one!" Diego said.

"It's right behind me!" Sid yelled and paddled as fast as he could towards them.

"What's behind you?" Nikolai asked.

"Crab!"

"You mean the disease?" Diego asked.

"No! Big freakin' crab!" Sid yelled, Diego helping him out of the water to see a pincer just miss him.

Nikolai rolled to the side as another tried to grab him, the crab coming out of the water with irritated eyes, wanting to get the sloth back as a meal. The crab was five times as large as the one that Manny, Sid, and Diego had encountered on the continental drift. Nikolai, Diego, and Sid backed off of the rock and came to the edge of the forest. The crab got onto the rock and they heard a crack, the crab ignoring it. It charged, clamping down its pincers angrily and beginning to run, taking five "steps" before it fell through the rock.

The group felt a rumble as the ground began to shake.

"Stand back!" Nikolai yelled, the three jumping back as the geyser shot up, the group seeing the crab shoot up into the air.

"Incoming!" Sid yelled, the crab crashing to the ground in front of them, smoking.

Diego smelled the air, and licked his lips.

"Do you smell that?"

"Yeah, did we just cook the crab?" Nikolai asked grinning.

The group of German sabers returned, their eyes widening at the sight. Diego stepped forward and plucked a hole in the crab's shell, and reached inside, pulling out a chunk of meat. He swallowed it, and his eyes widened.

"This…is…awesome!" Diego yelled.

"I guess this solves our food problem." Nikolai said smiling. "We'll need more sabers to carry this back." He ordered the Germans to get more of their comrades, and they left to do so. "God has given us quite a meal. Get ready you two, tonight we feast!"

* * *

"Ah, I see you didn't get eaten." Granny said, seeing Sid return to the large group.

"Thanks Granny." Sid said sarcastically.

"What did you get that everyone is all excited about?" Shira asked.

"Crab." Diego said.

"What? But we didn't even-"

"Woah, I didn't mean it like that. You know, the big crabs with the pincers. We cooked it unintentionally."

"Hmm…I've never had crab before." Shira said.

"Trust me, you'll like it." Diego said.

Sid set down firewood in the center of the field, the herd and the German forces talking amongst themselves. Taking two sticks, the sloth sat down and got to work trying to make fire. After an hour, he finally succeeded, nearly catching himself on fire when Manny finally arrived with the body of the crab being dragged with ropes, the German sabers grabbing the ropes with their teeth and helping Manny bring it into the middle of the circle.

The army of sabers tried to rush at the meat but Nikolai stopped them.

"Wait my comrades, there is plenty for thirds even if we can stomach all of that; let our friends get their food first."

"Thanks," Diego said, Nikolai bowing.

After Sid, Diego, Granny, Shira, Manny, Peaches, Crash, Eddie, Ellie, Buck, and the other animals got their food, the army got their own picks on the meat. The large group settled down and began to eat their meat, Diego and Nikolai splitting one of the enormous claws in half and taking half for themselves. Only Ryu did not take food, going up to Nikolai as he ate his food. The evening air was cool, and the only real light was that from the moon and the bonfire in the center.

"What is it?" He asked, slightly irritated.

"Is it ok if I split that with you?" Ryu asked, feeling guilty that she would cause the death of Nikolai soon and wanting to at least get to know him better.

Nikolai was about to protest when he remembered how he fell in love with her years ago, and conceded.

"Sure, you can; there's plenty for the both of us." Nikolai said, scooting over to make room for her next to him.

"Thank you, Nikolai." She said, and sat next to him, cutting a chunk of meat off of the claw and engulfing it. "Wow, that did taste good."

"I could live off of this the rest of my life if I could." Nikolai said chuckling, making her smile.

Nikolai frowned. "Look, I'm sorry about how I've treated you lately; I've been having a rough journey ever since my parents died but that gives me no excuse to hold a grudge on you. I saved you for a reason…"

"Why did you save me, Nikolai?" Ryu asked, her face going closer to his.

"Because…because I loved you." Nikolai said.

Ryu's heart was crushed. That he had apologized for his treatment of her and the fact that she now knew the true reason for why he saved her…and the fact that she would lead him to his death. She thought it was because they were childhood friends; now she knew it was more.

She placed her paw on his, Nikolai looking down at the sign of affection.

"Nikolai…" She said, beginning to tear up. "Do you still love me?"

"Yes, I always have." Nikolai said, and the two pulled the other into an embrace, Ryu silently crying into his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his heart pumping from the shock of the turn of events before his eyes.

"I…I…I thought I only loved you, and you forgot about me." Ryu said.

"No, I never forgot about you." Nikolai said, rubbing his muzzle against hers. "We can start over Ryu, you and me; together."

"Nikolai…" Ryu said, about to turn him down so that her plan was not jeopardized. But then she gave in, and chose love over a "home" under Kravon's plan. "Yes, yes I will be with you."

Nikolai smiled, the first true joy in years. "Thank you, Ryu."

Then Ryu's personality got the best of her, letting her want to take their love to the next "level". "Hey Nikolai, would you like to stay in my cave for the night?"

"What's in your cave?" Nikolai asked smirking.

"You'll have to find out." Ryu purred seductively, making Nikolai shiver.

"Um…yeah…I'll see you there." Nikolai stuttered.

Ryu laughed. "Someone's excited."

Shira chuckled as she watched the interaction between Nikolai and Ryu, and ate a sliver of the crab meat.

"Looks like they've made up, and now they're in love." Shira said, laughing quietly. "It also seems like they're already going it farther; how come you've not done that with me?"

"Um…we've only known each other for about a month." Diego said nervously.

"But every day counts." She purred.

"I love you with all my heart Shira, but I think it's early."

"Or do you not want to show your love for me?" Shira said smirking.

Diego's face reddened. "No, I do want to show my love for you."

"Then make a move soon, Diego." Shira said grinning.

"O-ok…" He said.

"But later. We should keep on eating." Shira said laughing and engulfed another piece, Diego doing the same.

"Shouldn't the army not be eating so much, since they will have to fight the entire Siberian army soon enough?" Diego asked.

"I'm sure they'll be fine; they won't have to fight until a few more days."

"A few more days?!" Diego asked, shocked.

"Kravon's mobilizing his army soon, and we're mobilizing ours. Soon we'll have to take the secret tunnels to Europe."

"Secret tunnels?" Diego asked, pretending that he did not know about them.

"Yeah, they run from here to the nearest continent (Europe), and we'll be able to get ready to fight. Everyone else will stay here." Shira said.

"How much more do you know?" Diego asked.

"That it's going to be one hell of a fight and that Buck has captured another Megalania, and he's planning to ride it into battle. He's trying to tame it now but it'll take some time."

Diego chuckled. "That'll be one heck of a sight."

Shira nodded. "So, what did you do after I had to hold off Gutt while you and your friends escaped."

"Well, I was heartbroken; I was pacing around unable to eat or sleep because I was thinking of you."

"Aww, the pussycat wanted his kitty back." Shira said grinning.

Diego laughed. "Yeah, I thought I made a major mistake leaving without you, and I was wondering if I would ever see you again. Then Manny and Sid harassed me over it, and that was aggravating."

"Typical men." Shira said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I know." Diego said. "But then we came to Siren Cove, and we nearly got eaten."

"Siren Cove? You mean they're real?" Shira asked, shocked.

Diego nodded. "Oh yeah, they're real alright."

"Who was your siren?" Shira asked grinning.

"It was…it was you." Diego said.

"Knew it!" Shira said, putting her paw in a fist and raising it in triumph. "I knew that I would be your siren if they were real. I'll bet you were drooling over me."

"Yeah, I was; but if it was you, I'll bet your siren would have been _me_." Diego snapped back.

"You're right about that one." Shira said laughing. "Any other adventures before we met up again?"

"No, we just came in, freed you and the rest of the herd and got to this island, and now we're here." Diego said.

"Well, I'm just glad that I got to find you; now nothing will separate us." Shira said, purring as she rubbed her muzzle under his neck."

"I love you, Shira." Diego said, feeling her embrace.

"I love you too, Diego."

**A/N: The herd enjoys a good meal of crab meat. Damn, I'm hungry myself (crab's one of my favorites you know). Next chapter: The Choice. Though Ryu has chosen Nikolai over Kravon's plan, she must make the final decision to stick with the herd and help Nikolai, Diego, and Shira from yet another ambush or watch them perish. Please, review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


	8. The Choice

**Ice Age: Love's Grasp **by

Mitchicus

Chapter 8: The Choice

**A/N: I'm back! And so you know, only two more chapters! Then we're going to the SEQUEL!**

Diego slowly opened his eyes and looked to the side of him; Shira curled up next to him.

"Hey…" He said, the beautiful saber awakening and smiling at him.

"Hell of a night, eh?" Shira asked.

"You bet." Diego said, making Shira purr.

They heard footsteps outside the cave as Nikolai appeared at the mouth of the cave.

"Get up you two; no more time for love. Ryu is taking us to a boat she found that will get us to Europe faster than the tunnels. We'll take the boat while the rest of the herd and Fritz's brigade will take the tunnels."

"What if they're claustrophobic?" Diego asked.

"They'll be fine; it's a wide cave, and it's one way; they can't get lost." The silver tiger responded.

"Ok, then let's go." Shira said, she and Diego getting up.

Nikolai nodded. "Alright, let's go."

The three saw the herd leaving for the tunnels, Ryu waiting for them with a frown on her face. She knew what she had to do. True, she loved Nikolai. But she had decided that surviving in the coming storm was better.

She walked with her head down, Shira beside her and noticing her mood.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ryu lied. "Just anxious about the coming battle."

"We'll do fine." Shira comforted her. "Nikolai has even worked with two of the generals of Kravon who are not too happy about going in against their old allies. That means that it will be 7,000 sabers against 8,000 sabers."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Meanwhile, Nikolai held a conversation with Diego.

"How many prey have you killed, Diego?" He asked.

"Too many to count." Diego asked. "You?"

"tens of thousands; I consider those I slay in battle as prey as well, so that is why it gets so high." Nikolai said.

"Nikolai…were all of those worthy kills…or under Kravon, did you kill the innocent?"

Nikolai stopped, remembering his time as Kravon's second in command.

"It was in the winter. A blizzard had begun to start…" Nikolai said, swearing that he could feel the cold of the snow begin to come back to his feet as he remembered the event.

* * *

_The large pack stood over the camp, seeing all inside sleeping. _

"_Kravon, they had nothing to do with the insurrection!" Nikolai exclaimed._

"_Silence!" Kravon said in a hushed tone. "When part of my territory rebels against me, the rest of the clans must be shown what will happen to them if they try what they have done. Dimitri, take your team the right and flank them, Nikolai, yours to the left."_

"_This isn't right!" _

_The sabers began to move into position, Kravon snarling and going face to face with Nikolai._

"_If you are to be my second in command and want to live and the same for your sister, do as you are told; become a murderer, and do what I have commanded." Kravon said._

_Nikolai pulled his head away from him and went in front of his sabers, and Kravon gave the signal. All of the sabers moved in silently yet quickly, the sabers inside the camp unaware. Young cubs snuggled up to their fathers and mothers, enjoying their peaceful sleep…now ended._

_The sabers roared and began to kill everyone, a great cry beginning to come from the village as men, women, and children awoke and tried to escape, chaos ensuing. Nikolai killed several with his claws, tears streaming down his face as he did what he was told. He turned and saw his cousin Soto killing them all without remorse, and anger burned in him._

_Soto trapped a young cub as it cowered in front of a rock, crying for its parents. Soto raised his paw to crush and kill it, but Nikolai leapt into action, tackling his cousin and pinning him on the ground._

"_What are you doing?!" Soto roared._

"_Leave the cub alone!" Nikolai yelled._

_The cries died down as the rest were slaughtered, only the cub remaining. _

"_Yes Soto, leave the cub alone." Kravon said smirking._

_Soto got up after pushing Nikolai off of him and went to the side of his comrades, all eyes on Nikolai._

"_Nikolai will kill the cub." Kravon said._

_Nikolai's eyes widened. "No, I can't."_

"_You will!" Kravon roared. "I know that you would prefer death over killing the innocent. How pathetic. But I do know one thing; if I just threaten your sister you will do anything."_

"_Leave her out of this!" Nikolai yelled._

"_If you do not kill the cub, I and the pack will ravage her before your own eyes!"_

_Nikolai tried to protest, but put his head down in shame. He turned to the cub, the cub crying in fear. He raised his paw, and retracted his claws. Nikolai killed the cub, and thus became what Kravon wanted of him._

* * *

The story was hard to stomach for Diego, and Nikolai continued on, trying to ignore it. He had become like Kravon then, and part of his personality was a result of him as well. Diego never had nearly as bad of problems under Koto, but then again, Koto was Nikolai's cousin. Diego couldn't believe that Shira had been so close to him years before but he didn't know it.

Nikolai and the others came to a cliff, Ryu stopping.

"Where's the boat, Ryu?" Diego asked.

"There is no boat." Ryu said, looking down in shame.

"What?" Shira questioned.

They heard a laugh, and Nikolai could recognize it from miles away. He turned back and looked to the hills.

"Kravon, we meet again."

"Yes we do, Nikolai; still on a crusade to save your sister I see." Kravon said.

"It's not like you have any family to protect."

Kravon smiled. "Don't need to; I'm adaptable. I see that Ryu has done her task as she was told, earning your trust and leading you here."

Nikolai, Shira, and Diego glared at her, the female going to Kravon's side.

"You truly have changed." Nikolai said, Ryu not making eye-contact with him.

"We have business to attend to now." Kravon said, looking at the large groups of Siberian sabers to his left and right. "Kill them, kill them all."

Ryu let tears go down her face and she sprinted away, leaving the rest to fight for themselves. Kravon, the coward that he was, left the field as his men closed in on them.

"It's a three on twenty." Diego said.

"It'll be hard to take them all." Shira said.

Suddenly, they heard a growl and saw a female charge at the side of the enemy sabers, slapping two to the ground with her paw and biting another. The three were shocked at the new ally but went forward, beginning to fight the others and catch them off guard. Shira slapped several with her paw, Diego cut more with his claws, and Nikolai impaled his enemies with his long teeth.

This new saber helped them defeat the rest, and soon they had eliminated the force that was sent to kill them. Diego, Shira, and Nikolai turned to the saber, seeing it was a female. She had silver fur like Nikolai and Shira and blue eyes, and smiled at them.

"Um…thank you." Nikolai said blushing.

"I wasn't going to let the Kaiser and his friends die." She said. "My name is Christine; I am from Fritz's division."

"I'm sorry that I didn't meet you earlier, Christine. Thank you for your help. This is Diego and Shira."

"Nice to meet you." Shira said, and Diego nodded.

"The herd is almost completely in the tunnels, we should get to them before they get too far ahead."

"Right behind you!" Nikolai said, receiving glances from Diego and Shira.

He always took the leadership role…today was an exception.

"Ook." Christine said and laughed. "We should get moving now."

"Yes…right." Nikolai stammered.

The three followed their new friend, Nikolai sticking close to her as Shira and Diego conversed behind them, quietly laughing as they observed their friend. Though the group shared a humorous moment, a battle that would decide the fate of thousands of lives was about to begin.

**A/N: Ryu betrays the group and the group is saved by a new friend. By the way, Christine belongs to my girlfriend XD. Next chapter: Meditation. The herd prepares for the coming battle, some not too sure that they want to be in it. Please review, share, comment, and please, no flames!**


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